


Six Years

by pretentioys



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Children, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Parent-Child Relationship, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Movie(s), Single Parents, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 08:59:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3350894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretentioys/pseuds/pretentioys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After staying up all night to work, Robert Callaghan is interrupted by his daughter who should be asleep by now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Six Years

**Author's Note:**

  * For [professor-callaghan](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=professor-callaghan).



Set up at his desk at home, etching out the schematics of his latest update to his inventions consumed most of the professor’s time into the late night. It took up almost the same amount of time as it did grading papers for him. But Callaghan was use to finding a balance. With a kid, his life had turned into a very schedule-based experience.

Things were almost the same everyday, there was a rhythm to it - no surprises.

He glanced at the clock as it ticked at the ever steady pace it took and decided to give himself another hour to get headway on his personal projects. Then off to bed. He’d need to get Abigail up for school the next day afterall. Even with coffee that was a struggle, Callaghan needed to be as prepared as possible.

Pouring himself back into the work, he lost track of his surroundings. Only seeing the minimalist capacitors and voltage nodes circuiting together on paper - preparing to switch out his black pen for red to keep up with the coding, the man’s eyes flicked from his supplies to a figure standing in the hallway. Callaghan jerked with a bit of a start, sending the pen in his hand to glide over the paper in a scratchy mess. Ruined.

Catching himself and attempting to calm down from the sudden surge of adrenaline, he set down his pen and ruler and turned his body fully to face the small body lurking, thinking she could sneak without his noticing.

“Abigail, what are you doing up?”

There was a noticeable silence, though it was dark and Callaghan could only see a bit of his daughter’s youthful face - he knew she was making a thoughtful face as she lended a quiet, nervous laugh, “Sleeping?”

He prodded a bit in a light voice,“You mean sleepwalking?”

“Yes,” she returned after a ponderance, her lost teeth obvious in a smile.

Trying to remain tough, but failing in the face of her guile - a grin broke out on his face, and he reached out to her. Abigail attempted to flee, but it wasn’t tough for her father to stand up and catch her. Lifting her in his arms, he twirled a bit which yielded the squeal akin to other any six year old’s.

“Daddy, stop!” she gave out after a moment, “I’m getting dizzy.”

“Well, at least we know you have good circulation,” Callaghan kept up the spin a bit longer, but slowed down a bit at her bidding. Finishing the circle in a bit of a joke to himself.

His little girl uttered another giggle before Callaghan finished out. He was not ready to let her go, so she remained in his arms. Abigail hooked her noodle arms around his shoulders and clasped her hands around his neck, an acceptance of it.

“I’m not so sure that you’re sleepwalking, honey,” Callaghan commented.

“But I am?”

“Then how are you talking?”

Abigail’s lips turned into a half pout, thinking further. Trying to create a form of her own logic to explain herself, much to her father’s waiting amusement.

Finally, “I can still talk and be asleep. You talk in your sleep all the time.”

A little less amused at that, Callaghan made a face, “Oh, and what do you hear?”

Abigail, still clasped onto her dad, smirked deviantly, “That’s for me to know.”

Callaghan set his daughter down on the ground, letting her stand on her own. He hadn’t spent months trying to get her to walk for the first time just to carry her around forever.

He turned away a bit, lilting his voice in a singsong way, “Oh, well, that’s fine. That makes us even anyway. Since I know what you say while you’re asleep too.”

At that Abigail gasped a bit, squinting up at her dad in a glare. It was always cute, in Callaghan’s opinion.

Callaghan started to make his way towards the kitchen, which Abigail followed after him in toe. But her short legs needed to compensate in a jog to match his long strides.

“Wait, what do I say?”

It was awhile before the professor thought of something up. “Oh, you just say a bunch of numbers.”

Abigail gave a bemused look.

“Numbers?”

“Yep. I think it was something like... 3.141592653 -”

Abigail interrupted, jumping in excitement, “That’s pi!”  
“Pie?” Callaghan asked, feigning ignorance, “Oh, I dunno, honey, it’s a little late for sweets. It’ll give you bad dreams.”

“No, Daddy,” Abigail groaned, exasperated, “pi. P-i. Like the symbol!”

“Hmm, I wouldn't know. It’s all Greek to me.”

Abigail pouted a bit, seeing she was getting nowhere with him. Connecting back to her surroundings, she questioned as was the way with children, “Why are we in the kitchen?”

Callaghan laughed as he reached for the handle of the cupboard, “Well, I don’t know why you’re in here. But I’m getting a glass of water.”

“I just followed you,” Abigail replied.

“Mhmm,” Callaghan hummed as he set a glass on the counter for only a moment, “why don’t you follow the sheep back to your dreams and count them?”

“Do I talk about those in my sleep too?”

She clearly didn’t want to go back to bed. Of course, Callaghan sympathized. He didn’t want to sleep either. After filling his cup with glass water, he brought it to his lips and thoughtfully concocted a way to get her to sleep again. He didn’t want her falling asleep during reading time again.

Lowering the glass, but keeping it in his hand at waist level - Abigail reached for it. Not fighting it, he let her have the glass and she lifted it to her lips. He shook his heads, “Abby, if you want you wanted a drink you could have asked. Instead of stealing mine.”

He shouldn’t have conditioned her to share food from the same bowl - it was so unsanitary. But old habits die hard, he knew.

“Can I have some water too please?” Abigail peeked over the counter as she watched her father already going to make a fresh glass.

Once that was accomplished and they were both nursing a cold glass, Abigail being loud and slurping hers - Callaghan turned the conversation to the matter at hand.

“Honey, after you’re finished - you will have to go to bed.”

Pulling the water away from her lips and using them to pout, Abigail whined, “But Daddy, I don’t want to sleep.”

“I know, sweetie,” Callaghan returned “but it’s a school night.”

“No, it isn’t,” Abigail said, rather confidently.

Thinking she was trying to pull a fast one, Callaghan prodded, “Oh?”

“Yeah, it’s Saturday tomorrow. Right?”

Callaghan left out a soft breath. Setting his glass down, he turned his attention towards the calendar and squinted to read it in the dark. It was February the 13th. Friday.

“Ah,” he mused, “yeah, you’re right. Huh. I must’ve... lost track of the days.”

The week did tend to bleed together for him.

Abigail smiled knowingly, “You’re silly, Daddy.”

“Yeah, I am,” Callaghan’s smile returned.

Nervously, Abigail looked up at him, “Are you doing anything for Valentines?”

Wow, the question made him realize that the holiday even existed at all. He’d really forgotten so much evidently. Though admittedly, he didn’t really have to be aware of that romantic holiday anymore... Worried that Abigail was hoping for something that wasn’t going to happen ever, Callaghan glanced down at her with concern as he answered.

“Oh,” Callaghan started awkwardly, “honey, no, I’m not sure if-”

Abigail interrupted, a bright smile breaking out on her face, “No? Good then you aren’t busy!”

A bit surprised at the turn of pace, he was going to question - but Abigail grasped his hand and tugged him away. Leaving the used glasses behind, Callaghan would have to get back to them later to put them in the sink. For now, he followed his daughter willingly. Curious as to what she had planned.

“I think I’m pretty much always free for you. What is it you need?”

Abigail didn’t answer. She only gave another laugh. If it hadn’t been his daughter, Callaghan would’ve found it eerie. He let her keep the surprise.

Heading back to her room, she quietly instructed her dad to wait outside by pointing at a spot outside the door. He attempted to peek a bit to see what she was doing, but only received a glare from her as she turned to shut the door on him. Whatever it was - it was to remain secret until Abigail deemed it time. Callaghan let it be.

It was another moment longer as Callaghan heard shuffling coming from her bedroom, he pondered how messy it was for a second. But the idea of having to clean was lost to him as his little girl exited her bedroom.

Concealing something behind her back, she gave another grin. Well-meaning, but it raised suspicion in her father. Directing him towards the living room, Abigail gave another point.

“What’s your game?” Callaghan teased.

“Shhh,” Abigail returned, not willing to break her concentration. This was a very serious situation.

Callaghan gave the moment to her and merely followed - well, more led because she didn’t want him standing behind her to see what she was hiding. He was positively curious.

Once in the living room, Abigail did a quarter turn and gave the order, “Daddy, sit down.”

“Floor or couch?” he asked to egg her on a little.

Abigail waved her hand without care, “Whatever.”

Callaghan stifled a laugh. He sat down on the couch.

Abigail fiddled at the TV a long time - which was enough time for Callaghan to realize she had a DVD. Did she want to watch a movie? It was awfully cute, but he wondered why she’d be so secret about that.

With the DVD in, Abigail took the remote and got it play. She hurried over to the couch, plopping next to her dad. Still not mentioning anything, no introduction to what they were about to watch. It instilled an unnatural paranoia in Callaghan.

It must’ve been a bit old since it took a moment for the DVD player to read it, but eventually light flooded from the TV. Itching the professor’s eyes a bit, he blunk to rid his eyes of the tears that formed.

He wanted to speak, but didn’t risk it. Staying focused on the television, the video - whatever it was - officially started.

The opening scene was that of a young Abigail, even younger than she was. Still relatively bald in the head, brown hair only coming in a light patch and she sat - looking around idly with her gray eyes. Inspecting her environment, watching anything that caught her attention like babies do. At this point, the camera had caught her attention and she looked directly at it. Smiling to reveal toothless gums, a voice - his voice - rang out from behind the camera, “That’s good, Abby!”

In the present, Callaghan glanced over at his daughter. She was leaned forward, fixated on the video. His eyes were soft, turning back to pay attention to the screen. Comment was needed right then.

His younger self continued to fiddle with the camera, trying to get baby Abigail to still pay attention to him. But she had turned attention away, at something else off screen much to his frustration evidently. “Abby, honey, look back here!”

Another voice came in, a soft, warm tone to it that Callaghan hadn’t heard in forever. “Robert, you know that won’t work.”

The camera angle lifted, pointing straight at the visage of his late wife. Dark features turning into a smirk from her - just like Abigail’s, she shook her head as she repeated herself, “It won’t.”

“Kahaya, you don’t think I can get Abigail’s attention back?”

Running a hand to spread her hair back out of her face, the woman laughed, “Nope.”

“Hmm,” Callaghan returned, ignoring her doubt. Pointing the camera back at Abigail, “Honey, look at me! We gotta prove your mom wrong.”

Kahaya let out another laugh, going to pick Abigail up. “She’s a baby, Robert. They can’t pay attention for anything. They’re always looking at everything.”

Cradled in her mom’s arms, Abigail’s small hands reached forward. Kahaya gave her index finger which the baby clasped her fingers around. Tightly squeezing, looking forward up at her mom. The camera was still rolling as Callaghan focused on them.

“She’s paying attention to you pretty well,” he commented snidely.

Kahaya smiled sweetly. Still focusing on her daughter, resetting her in her arms. She let out a soft sigh, very content with the situation one could tell.

She was always beautiful like that.

“Can you put the camera done for once, Robert? You’re missing her.”

The camera lowered, taking a good shot of his feet. He waltz over and stood beside Kahaya - her colored flats coming into view now. They obviously stood close, Callaghan maybe leaning forward to look over their child - who cooed happily in the ambience. The camera shook a bit, unsteady, as Callaghan was angling himself in step. Maybe kissing Abigail and then turning to kiss Kahaya. In present, he could fill in the missing shot with vague memories. Even if it was only six years ago, it had been so long. Hadn’t even been bothered to watch old tapes since Kahaya had passed.

Absently, he wondered where Abby got it. The DVD stopped, coming back to a scene selection. It was all a compilation of home movies that Callaghan had collected during the first 3 years of his daughter’s life. He had been all about documentation then.

Abigail didn’t say anything, just looked at him with a smile on her face. He had to take a moment to remind himself that she really did look so much like her mother.

“Sweetie,” Callaghan said, softly.

“Yes?”

He scooted over, pulling Abigail into a half embrace in appreciation of what she intended, “Would you want to visit your mother tomorrow?”

Abigail nodded readily, returning his hug with a squeeze of her noodle arms, “Yeah.”

He laughed, pulling her up into his lap and he stood up to carry her, in one fluid motion, “Then you actually do have to sleep.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was written kind of in order to spite people who have made rude comments about Callaghan. He did awful things in the movie, but I do feel there's another side worth exploring for him. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. Be good to each other.
> 
> The name and design of Abigail's mother is taken from professor-callaghan's lovely headcanon. I hope you're well, Tomo.


End file.
